Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Call from the Voting Booth

My younger son just called to ask for help deciding how to vote on three amendments to the state constitution.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"In the voting booth", he replied, rather nonchalantly.

"I don't think you're allowed to do this!" I suddenly felt uneasy.

His response, "I don't care."

He proceeded to read each amendment to me twice. Why? Because these friggin amendments, propositions etc are written and meant to be hard to understand. I realized, while straining as he read sotto voce, how ridiculous it is to deal with this crap. For years, voters have struggled to understand the purposely convoluted amendments and propositions that are barely understandable, let alone clearly defined. Hell, I voted on them 3 weeks ago and did not recognize two out of the three.

My sons drove their 85 year old grandma to the polls so she could vote. They voted. They took an interest, albeit at their father's and my strong influence. But, so what? My manicurist is in her mid thirties and she says she never votes because it "won't make any difference" and neither party cares about her. How sad is that?

Former Governor Howard Dean is on MSNBC talking about voter harassment and suppression at certain polls in PA. His cousin was pressured to show his I.D. to people acting as part of the polling process who had been previously legally enjoined by the court from doing this very thing. I can't imagine what I'd say or do if someone were to confront me about my identification.

Then there's the 6,000,000 electronic voting machines in use around the country, some of which are owned by Tagg Romney. No conflict of interest there!